Haiti opposition names new transitional leader amid presidency fight

The president has vowed to stay in power until February 2022 as an interim administration had governed for a year after he was elected. Magistrate Joseph Mecene Jean Louis, 72, said in a video message that he had been chosen by the opposition to replace Moise, who the opposition accuses of being authoritarian and presiding over a crippling economic crisis.

The Haitian opposition on Monday escalated a constitutional crisis by naming a magistrate as an interim leader for the troubled Caribbean nation amid a dispute over when the term of President Jovenel Moise ends.

Political tensions were exacerbated on Sunday when Moise alleged there had been an attempt to overthrow the government and 23 people were arrested, including a Supreme Court judge and a senior police official. The opposition dismissed claims of a coup attempt, and said Moise should have stepped down on Feb. 7 when his five-year term ended. The president has vowed to stay in power until February 2022 as an interim administration had governed for a year after he was elected.

Magistrate Joseph Mecene Jean Louis, 72, said in a video message that he had been chosen by the opposition to replace Moise, who the opposition accuses of being authoritarian and presiding over a crippling economic crisis. "I declare to accept the choice of the opposition and the civil society to be able to serve my country as the provisional president," Jean Louis said.

Moise, who has ruled by decree since mid-January, has stated he would hand over power to the winner of the September presidential elections but would not step down until his term expires in 2022. The United States, which is the biggest donor to Haiti, appears to have backed Moise's timeline, saying the new president should take office in February next year.

Haiti's military on Monday said it was concerned about political events in the country but appeared to back Moise, saying it would defend rule of law and "legitimate authorities democratically elected by the population". Earlier in the day two journalists were shot in the capital, according to local news outlets and videos uploaded on social media.